12 Years of Dramione
by lozlol
Summary: 12 days, 12 chapters. Draco and Hermione's work together as Head Boy and Girl culminates on Christmas Day, a special time of year for them for the rest of their relationship. Follow them and their family in 12 oneshots up until Christmas Eve. Rated K for a couple of sensitive themes near the end.
1. Under the Mistletoe with You

_**Day 1:**_

 _ **Hi! So this is going to be a series of festive one-shots released every day leading up to Christmas. Each of the 12 chapters will revolve around Christmas a different year in Dramione's (and eventually their family's) life, in the same universe. This first one is set the first Christmas day after the Battle of Hogwarts in an AU where everyone returned for their final year.**_

Hair curled rather than slicked down within an inch of its life like last time she'd attended a Yule Ball, Hermione also added a little rose lipstick and glittery gold eyeshadow beneath her extended lashes to match the gorgeous dress robes she'd bought, knowing she'd be centre stage just as Harry and his co-champions had been last time. The makeup wasn't a mask now, it was there to enhance her confidence. This time she knew her physical and intellectual value, and other people knew how well she could clean up as well. She'd had plenty of offers, including Harry and Ron, who hadn't waited until the last minute to ask her this time- although her ex-boyfriend had been a little slower, unsure if it was appropriate a month after their break-up, but that time honestly felt longer. Their feelings had manifested in the confusion of adolescence, and the war had pushed her and Ron together, but when the rosy filter had worn off, it had quickly become clear that they couldn't last in the long term. As friends debate and argument were healthier, but she couldn't imagine living with him, trying to decide how to pay bills, or dealing with the jealousy he'd surely have over how much time she spent at her job. So they'd called it off; she hadn't said no to his Yule Ball offer for that reason, but for the same as she'd said no to everyone who'd asked. Being independent had taught her a lot about herself, and if she was going to go with anyone, it would be the one person who hadn't asked her. Not that she'd ever admit it to him- or anyone.

Heading down the stairs to the common room, she found her co-head student already waiting on a sofa. Heading her footfall, he got to his feet and turned around to greet her, but his mouth hung open for a moment as if unsure what exactly to say, eventually deciding on, "huh. Not bad Granger."

"You don't look too shoddy yourself Ferretface," she said, looking down her nose, glad she had a few steps to go to complete the illusion that she could actually look down on him.

They kept their poker faces for a few moments before they both burst out laughing at how they used to treat each other. She remembered pitying his family when she saw them sitting alone at the Battle of Hogwarts. They had helped in the end after all, so she swallowed the bullet and went over to thank them for their contribution to the effort. His parents had been rather stand-offish, just muttering and nodding, but he had looked up at her broken and bruised, and in that moment she had met _Draco_. Malfoy was gone. Both picked as head students, they'd corresponded by owl over the summer about their policies to stitch the school back together, which continued on their compartment on the train. Harry and Ron had expected her not to use it except to give her speech to the prefects so they were rather put out at being neglected, but it had been the start of a beautiful partnership, which had only developed into first study buddy's then true friendship over the months. She started to move down the stairs, but Draco halted her, producing a small box. She raised a confused eyebrow, at which he told her "just open it!" Raising her hands in amused surrender, she then did so. Inside lay a golden magical eternally blooming floral arrangement. It seemed to give out light and hope; captivating. "It's a tradition in Pureblood families for the hosts to mark themselves out with these, I hope it's not uncomfortable for you but I thought since-"

"I don't…feel that way," she interrupted. "In fact, I love it." With a smile dripping genuineness and relief, he plucked off a piece and threaded it into his pocket to match her, then gently took her arm to attach the corsage to her wrist. If she ever thought he'd deign to touch her before, she would have assumed it would be aggressive; shoving her into a wall or something. This was the opposite: careful, almost apologetic. Nonetheless, it still made her shiver, but he didn't linger, dropping her arm when he was done. After staring at each other in silence for a moment, she gritted her teeth into a shiny beam her dentist parents would have been proud of, asking him to check there was no lipstick on her teeth even an invisibility cloak couldn't hide!

"No," he answered. "You look perfect." She felt a natural blush paint her cheeks, hopefully hidden by the artificial one she apparently didn't need after all. He dipped his head awkwardly for a moment, then extended the crook of his arm. She'd only ever walked arm and arm like that with her two best friends, but she accepted Draco's offer.

* * *

It was wonderful to see the Great Hall looking like such a magical fairyland after they'd spent so long planning it; hypothesising that it would be a brilliant way to bring the students (in Fourth Year and above- or those invited by someone older) together. Those of that age were still the ones with the most prejudice against each other. She'd almost doubted this day would ever come, but here she stood on the stage with a microphone welcoming her fellow students, telling them how awful last year had been, that they all deserved a celebration for pushing through to save the Wizarding World and then coming back the next year to complete their education. But learning wasn't what today was about, she reminded them, and so Draco told them to toss away those textbooks and remove the word examination from their vocabulary, because this was going to be the best night of their lives! As laughter bounded around the room, The Pumpkin Pasties began to play and he led her to the centre of the ballroom, placing one hand on her waist and the other in her own, beginning to dance a slow waltz. She could hear some whispers, but she just kept her eyes fixed on her partner, determined not to stumble whilst half the school was watching her every step. Draco's smile was encouraging; she could feel him guiding her in a supportive, but thankfully not stifling way as neither would it be very pleasant to be dragged around by the Slytherin, and if he did so she suspected he'd have her two best friends to handle. She didn't even notice as others joined them on the floor, neither would she have noticed the song ending if not for Draco stopping. He bowed, a twinkle in his eye and she curtsied back, trying to push back a smile that would split her face if she let it.

The musicians switched to a jazzy number, which people started to laugh and cheer at, McGonagall throwing her hat in the air freely. The two Head students jived along for a little while, until Draco asked if she wanted to head outside for a breath of fresh air. He tried to hide his glance around, but she spotted it, following his gaze to see her two friends glowering at him, and there were plenty of others who looked suspicious or unhappy with him leading them. Nodding, she followed him outside. There were a few other people outside, and she could hear Peeves cackling somewhere, but they were relatively secluded behind some bushes, so she didn't feel like she would upset him by ruining his tough guy reputation when she asked "are you alright?"

It took a moment, as if he were considering it, but then he turned to her with a smile and replied "of course! It's exactly what we wanted- and everyone seems to be enjoying it."

"But are _you_ okay?" She repeated, not allowing him to get away with that deflection. "If I of all people can move past our well... past, everyone should be able to."

He smiled slightly. "You're not _everyone_ Hermione."

At that moment, the school's mischievous poltergeist decided to appear over them with a sprig of mistletoe, chanting for them to snog. "No!" Hermione declared, her face getting redder by the second. Taking Draco's arm, she attempted to move away, but found herself pushed back as if by an invisible forcefield, evoking evil supervillain cackling from the ghost.

"I believe the demon isn't going to let us free until we do as he orders," said Draco without inflection. If she hadn't known him so well by know she would have thought it meant he didn't care, but now she could read a little more into it, fear, or maybe just nerves. Peeves began shrieking, trying to drum up an audience by yelling that the two head students were about to smash faces, so she quickly told Draco to do it. After a moment's breath and a glance at her lips, he dove down, crashing into her. She couldn't hear Peeves jeering, it was all just white noise while she threw her arms around the back of Draco's neck, melting into him in a way that she never had Ron or Viktor. Her moan seemed to give Draco the impetus to slip his tongue into her mouth in a slow tango, with a few Argentinian flicks. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before; every sensation under the sun. This was what kissing was supposed to be like; she realised. This was why she hadn't ever enjoyed it before. Hearing loud whoops and cheers, they parted, but before he could run away she reached out and took his hand, keeping him close as they turned to face their audience, who quickly dispersed before they could be identified.

After a few moments of awkward silence she turned to look at him with a half-smile. "What do you think this'll do for your reputation then?"

He glanced down at their joined hands, then squeezed gently, filling her with a warm fuzzy feeling as if they were in front of a fireplace roasting chestnuts and drinking hot chocolate, rather than in the freezing Scottish grounds. "Them linking me with you? I'm going to be the most popular guy at school!" With both their sides aching from laughter, they leant in again for another warming embrace, unsure how they'd managed to get through the winter months beforehand without it.


	2. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

_**Day 2- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree:**_

Sitting in her car on the way to the garden centre, Draco fidgeted uncomfortably, protesting "why do we have to traipse all the way out here when we could just magic up a tree into the flat?"

As they pulled into the car park, Hermione leant over and pecked him on the cheek. "Because, my enthusiastic conscript, picking out a tree and somehow getting it home is so much more of an interactive, rewarding experience than magicking one up at random."

Her boyfriend rolled his eyes, but without any animosity. "My father has a catalogue."

"And _these_ trees are a buyer's market," she said. Surveying him quickly, she did a quick check of the man opposite her. Wand; left at home on the cabinet table. Wizarding vocab; zipped up. Jeans; on and looking rather fit if she did say so herself. "Let's go snatch the best one!"

She pulled him by the hand into the poly-tunnel, the bell to signal their arrival to the owners making him jump into the air like a skeleton shocked out of its body! At her resultant laughter he shoved her sideways before threading his arm through hers with his own mirrored smirk- only freezing when a grey haired woman with her hair in a messy bun held up by a spade approached them, pulling off her gardening gloves to intercept and hug the young witch. "Hermione! How lovely to see you again! So grown up! Have you moved back down here? It's been so sad to see your parents here alone all these years while you've been at that boarding school! Apart from two years ago when they didn't show- I heard rumours they'd moved as well?"

"Their stay in Australia was planned to be longer," she said truthfully, but submitted the memory wiping part of why they left. "But yes, my boyfriend Draco and I," she lifted their joined hands with a smile as he forced one as well, crinkling up his eyes. "Moved back down south. Not as close as I used to be-"

"An exorbitantly long travel time," Draco drawled.

She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. "But there wasn't anywhere else I'd rather go to get this tree!"

The shop owner wiped away a tear, beaming. "How sweet of you, dear. Well let's find you the perfect one then!" They gave her the measurements of their living room and then she directed them to a copse of trees. It always amazed Hermione how different the same species could look. They pulled them out by the trunks, arguing over whether to have one with more branches at the bottom or more overall, but eventually decided on a tree which was nearly perfect, just slightly too tall so they'd have to chop the top part off. The little old lady stunned Draco when she lifted up the tree alone, he rushing to help her but she was almost supernaturally strong! However the couple helped her by taking the end to shove into the netting machine, which her boyfriend at first jerked back from, worried a goblin was going to leap out of it! Once their tree was fully wrapped they wiped off their muddy hands victoriously. She let Draco pay in muggle money because he was so excited to show her and prove he could do it after all, but once they'd manoeuvred it into the car, the old lady wasn't done yet.

"Since you've travelled _so far,"_ she arched a jocular eyebrow at Draco, who blushed despite the fact they all knew they were messing around, just making the two women laugh harder. "Take a little something extra, free of charge." She produced a festive wreath, decorated with dried oranges, lemons, limes and cinnamon sticks; the scent of Christmas personified!

Thanking her profusely, Hermione handed the wreath to her boyfriend to smell, who inhaled deeply then had the same reaction as her, despite his far different upbringing and what, as it was becoming increasingly clear, had been a far different experience of Christmas. "It feels like I'm at the Great Hall Christmas banquet," he murmured appreciatively.

"Some work party?" Asked the old lady as she took back the wreath and wrapped it for them.

Hermione shook her head. "School."

The owner chuckled. "Perhaps I should have gone to boarding school. Sounds positively magical!"

* * *

They strolled gloved hand in hand across to the little tearoom she'd visited every year after getting their tree before she'd started spending Christmases at school. It was unbelievably refreshing to realise they'd pinned up the same decorations they'd always used. There was a new teenage waitress to take their order; a normal muggle girl with a Saturday job other than fighting evil masterminds- But she could see the chef in the back was the same as the one who'd always run the kitchen, and there was the same potted plant next to their table, only a little taller, the same non-moving artwork in its frames around the room. They ordered the Christmas afternoon tea she'd always shared with her parents. First the sandwiches: grape and brie; turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing; and prawn and smoked salmon. The lavish toppings astounded her boyfriend, who it seemed had been expecting corned beef and cheese spread or something of the sort. Then there were the scones, with the small Christmas twist of having flecked pieces of fruit in them- naturally this led to the debate every couple has at some point in their relationship on which goes first; the cream or the jam? The top tier contained fruit cake cupcakes, mince pies, little slices of Yule Log, stollen and panettone. By the time they had scoffed down every crumb they were ready to use an enlarging charm for their seatbelts!

* * *

Draco was beginning to mutter the levitating charm when she put her hand out to stop him, determined that they would do this part of Christmas the muggle way. "But what's the point of having magic if you can't use it for time consuming tasks like this?"

"So that you can enjoy your humanity!" Hermione suggested, wiggling her eyebrows at him as her hands were too full to poke him. Having unlocked the door with one hand, she now put both back on the tree and re-calibrated herself to walk back through the door. "Now come on! Push!"

* * *

There were a few Friends-like "pivot!" moments which Draco didn't see quite the same humour as she did with her crazed laughter! Eventually they managed to squeeze the tree into its pot, chopping off the top so it no longer bent against the roof. After they hung the literal fairy lights, Hermione and Draco each brought out a cardboard box, taking turns to pull out an ornament. "Oh my Godric!" Hermione exclaimed, displaying a dodgily shaped reindeer covered in felt and glitter, with one eye a dot and the other the size of a snitch. "I made this in Year 2!" At his incredulous look, she clarified, "primary school year 2! I was a slightly better artist when I was thirteen."

"We should try and recreate them and see how much better you can do," Draco chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. "It'd probably be worse!" His pick was a bauble with a scene inside. At first glance it seemed rather mundane, not as blatantly magical as the fairies, but when Draco gave her a closer look, she realised it contained a moving image- rather like those in The Daily Prophet- of a five year old Draco and his parents sat around his a Christmas dinner table. She glanced between the innocent eyes and the ones that had seen war, caused hurt, suffered to support his family. "It's lovely," she smiled, squeezing his hand. "How did you do it?"

"I'll teach you the charm if you like," he said excitably. "We can make our own to celebrate our first Christmas together."

"There's nothing I'd like more this year," she declared, to which he tipped his head, putting his hand into his back pocket.

"Does that mean I should return this?" Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him sink to one knee with an emerald and ruby ring in its case glittering up at her. Her own knees felt like jelly; she couldn't believe she was still somehow standing, although her mouth had dropped open gormlessly. "Before you faint," he clarified. "This isn't an engagement ring." That did manage to close her mouth, although now her mind was just clouded with confusion. "You've introduced me to a lot of your traditions today. In Pureblood families, usually as children, betrothed couples receive rings to symbolise commitment," he pushed his hair back, a sign of nervousness that she'd come to adore. "I had one with Astoria Greengrass, but her parents tore up the contract during the war, horrified by my family."

"I'm sorry," she said, though she wasn't really. She couldn't imagine if that had gone forward and she'd never gotten to be with the blond herself.

"Don't be. My parents made the commitment for me, but I want to make this one of my own free will." With the empty hand he gripped her own, laying a soft kiss on it. "I got an offer for an ambassadorship to the magical government of Spain," her heart dropped. "And I've been thinking about it for a few days, but I don't need to spend any more time doing that. Your future is here- our future. This is what I want. You."

She shook her head. "Draco that's such a wonderful opportunity. You can't just discard it for me."

"You act as if you wouldn't be worth it," he stroked her hand gently. "But no darling, I am doing this because that may have been what I wanted in an alternate universe, but now I want to be here, with you where your job is- which I know you won't leave- and I want to see you every day in person, not through the Floo. I want to develop my own career in England to lay the groundwork for the family I hope we'll one day have." Now it was her heart that was stopping again. "I'd never rush you into marriage 'Mione, but this is a promise that I do want to be your husband someday, and I'd love to spend our first Christmas together with the anticipation of that future."

Four years ago when they were sparring at school; three years ago when he was skulking the corridors suspiciously; two years ago when she was on the run and Voldemort was squatting at his house; Godric, even one year ago when they kissed at the Yule Ball, she never would have imagined the possibility, but now it was the simplest decision in the world. This was what she wanted too.


	3. Faithful Friends Who Are Dear to Us

_**Day 3- Faithful Friends Who Are Dear to Us, Gather Near to Us:**_

"What do you think of this dress?" Hermione asked. "Is it conservative enough? Should I put more makeup on? Less?"

Her boyfriend pecked her cheek on the way past her to their floor length mirror. "You look perfect darling. There's nothing you could improve. It's me who should be worried." He held up a fun magically singing tie and a more classical red and green striped one. She pointed to the second, knowing her parents were going to be freaked out enough jumping into the Wizarding World, they didn't need to be losing their minds over how a tie couldn't run out of battery! Perhaps it would have been beneficial to have something to break the tension in the uncomfortable silences that were sure to come, but she had to pick between the two evils. "I'm serious. My parents are ashamed of what they've done. They're going to want to do everything they can to make it up to you, but I'm sure you complained about me to yours for years, they're going to be furious when they discover I'm the one who was so cruel to their daughter!"

"Oh they know who you are," Hermione leant in front of him to check her face in the mirror, then glanced up to meet his eyes in it. "This won't be the time they find out what you've done."

"You're _still_ gossiping about me?" He asked, scrunching up his face in confusion.

She smirked, moving across the room to grab her bag and threading it over her shoulder, then blowing him a kiss. "Only when you do something naughty. Father Christmas has his lists to keep track, I have mine!"

* * *

Having apparatus to Malfoy Manor, Hermione pointed at the car parked neatly and in the family's stables beside their peacocks. "Looks like they're here already. Let's go assess the damage."

Draco took her hand, they both shared a deep breath, then they knocked on the ridiculously huge doors. It took so long for them to get a reply that Draco braved the potential wrath of his mother by stepping on her flowerbeds to try to get around to the sitting room window to peer into it and check there wasn't blood all over the floor to water the tree! That left her alone when the door was finally opened, and she had her mouth open ready to nervously greet her hosts, but she shouldn't have been surprised that, of course, the Malfoy's didn't answer their doors. Instead, at the door was an extremely festive looking house elf with a boa of golden tinsel around it. "Welcome Miss!" It squealed. By this point Draco had sweetly run back over to support her, glancing down at the elf in shock.

"Finky?" Draco asked, not recognising the elf who she knew had helped raise him.

"Oh yes! Master Draco is back!" The elf did a little dance to celebrate, which they both stifled laughter at. "For this most festive day! The Dr and Dr Granger are so wonderful- Finky knows you will have a good time! They gave Finky this when they arrived!" The elf showcased her accessory with a 'ta-da!' Gesture.

"Um, Finky, that's marvellous to know, but could you show us to them so we could join the party and put these gifts down?" Hermione displayed the contents of her arms almost apologetically.

Stone faced, the elf asked "dfes Miss have a gift for Finky?" Hermione blushed, glancing at Draco with a slightly annoye expression for not warning her of this. She'd had enough trouble working out what to give the in-laws she hadn't met whilst actually dating her boyfriend! (They were so different now- she had no clue what to expect!) Luckily the elf saved her with a booming chortle from one with so small lungs. "Finky is just joking Miss! Follow Finky's lead!"

Draco chuckled at Hermione as she took a relieved breath, then shook her head at him. "Quite the character!"

He glanced ahead at his childhood carer, "she was quite like that when I was younger, but never so much, and never around my parents. I think yours have brought something out of her!"

"Or perhaps yours have become more encouraging of expression?" She teased.

He chuckled, giving her hand a quick squeeze. "Let's stop kissing each other's parents' arses and go do it to them directly!"

They stepped in cautiously, not sure what to expect, but what they heard was hooting schoolgirl-ish laughter from within and deep out-of-key voices singing _Good King Wenceslas_! "Oh darling!" That was Narcissa, who Hermione suspecting was running over to squeeze Draco however it was her own parents who were greeting him. She expected a handshake or perhaps a curtsy from the Lady of the manor, but the blonde kissed her warmly on each cheek and her husband did the same; rather unnerving from a man who'd spat at her in Second Year. "Your parents are delightful!" Narcissa exclaimed. "But come in, come in, put those down under the tree!" Despite her friendliness, the nerves similar to Draco's were beginning to surface. Just like her son, they were difficult to spot and she doubted she would have if they weren't so similar to his. Despite her friendliness her poise remained- still rather intimidating. As she stood up from under the tree she turned to her parents to ask them how they were doing, but was waved off.

"Nice to see you sweetheart, but we want to get to know Draco. Based on how different his father is from all those awful things you told us, I'm sure he's the most charming man in existence!"

Her mouth dropped open in horror as she exclaimed for her mother to stop, but Malfoy Senior shook his head. "It's true, we shouldn't brush past our history. Draco and I have both behaved terribly towards you and I'm sure that he's utterly proven his change if you've not only committed to him personally as you have, but also agreed to come back to this place which I'm sure holds no pleasant memories, to meet me, who I'm sure you feel the same about." The mood in the room took even more of a dip into pain and discomfort. Her parents had been staunchly opposed due to their ages when she'd tried to explain their 'betrothal' but eventually they'd accepted it was what she wanted. His, on the other hand, had apparently been nothing but encouraging and she couldn't help but wonder why. She wasn't exactly Astoria Greengrass. "I can't express, Miss Granger," he continued. "How much it means to me that you have made my son happy when I thought the war had trained everything out of him. From meeting your parents, I understand clearly how you could have such an effect, and I only hope for you to let me get to know you as well- because it would seem there is a lot to admire."

Feeling utterly charmed after that speech, she resolved to throw herself into today. If she had accepted that Draco could change then surely so could his parents. Besides, her parents were dentists, they knew the best people didn't always have dazzling shiny teeth, and the worst's weren't all rotten.

* * *

Almost immediately an elf announced that dinner was ready. The six of them sat down, and while it was being brought out, Narcissa suggested they take turns to tell a story in order to get to know each other better. She went first, jumping straight into 'embarrassing mum mode' that seemed to infuriate Draco but put Hermione much more at ease, guffawing at her boyfriend as she heard about the first time he tried to mount a broom, age 3, and repeatedly flipped around onto his head- even bringing out magical pictures of the moment- to Draco's abject horror and despair! Lucius was just launching into what was shaping up to be something just as embarrassing when Hermione took a bite of the turkey (her favourite meat) she'd been heaping onto her plate and felt a wave of nausea inexplicably rise in her throat. She'd been looking forward to this meal- usually one of her favourite parts of the day- and had assumed even if it was awkward she could just stuff her face to avoid conversation. Still, that was certainly nausea. Maybe if she shoved some potatoes down to soak it up- or what about a swig of pumpkin juice. No, the turkey had done its work. She pushed back the chair with an embarrassingly loud scrape and ran out- despite the protests of both her parents and her boyfriend. She was exceedingly grateful to the elf who quickly pointed her to the bathroom, giving her just enough time to crumple over it and aim. Wretchedly, she struggle to pull her own hair out of the way until she felt a hand behind her scoop it up. Assuming it was her mother or Draco, and rather preoccupied honestly, she continued as she was, only turning to look once she'd finished and wiped her mouth. Upon realising that the helper was her mother-in-law, she started, which made the woman return a gentle hand to her shoulder. Hermione began to ramble about how incredibly apologetic she was for her rudeness; that the food had been fantastic and it was no affront to her cooking.

"Not that I cooked any of it, but if I had I still would have taken no offence," Narcissa shrugged elegantly.

Her mind a little fizzled from the sickness, Hermione began to respond "no, that's not what I-" before realising what had been said. "What? I mean, pardon?" She corrected herself with a blush.

"I'm not at all you're sick my dear, and the fact that it came upon you so quickly gives me a little theory. " She surveyed her for a moment, then asked, "have you had any other issues?"

She thought about that for a moment.

"Well there's a spell that I used to find out I was pregnant with Draco."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Pregnant?"

"Is it not possible?" Asked a surprised Narcissa. Hermione couldn't believe they were talking about this. This wasn't anything she'd predicted when she'd planned out responses in her head for all the ways this could go wrong.

"I mean, I suppose-" Hermione took a deep breath as Narcissa explained how to cast the spell.

"Would you like me to go get Draco? Or your mother?"

She shook her head, quickly adding before the other woman could leave. "But could _you_ please stay?" Seeming stunned at the request, Narcissa gestured to herself. "If there is a baby, I don't want to risk hurting it by doing this wrong, could you guide me through it?" The older woman nodded readily, so they went through the motions until Hermione was staring at a glowing blue spot on her stomach. She glanced at Narcissa, despite already knowing in her heart the explanation.

"It's a boy," she whispered, with an undercurrent of amusement. "Lucius's ridiculous family prophecy is sounding more and more believable."

Her stomach was tingling; not nausea but a curious mixture of shock, fear, excitement and confusion. "Could I take you up on that offer to get Draco now?" She asked. Narcissa nodded and headed for the door, but Hermione called out her name- her first name- to stop her. "Thank you. So much." The grey in her hair was becoming increasingly prominent, but the smile that lit up her face could have belonged to a ten year old.

* * *

"Are you alright babe?" Hermione glanced up. "Sorry about yelling after you, I think tensions are a little high for everyone."

She chuckled. "You don't know the half of it." At his raised eyebrow, she gestured for him to join her on the edge of the bathtub. There they sat in silence for a few moments as she tried to formulate a plan, but he was sweet enough to realise something was wrong and give her all the time she needed. At last she told him that she had a present for them to share. Taking his hand, she kept her eyes locked to his still perplexed ones, and guided it to her stomach. Watching the realisation dawn in his eyes was like bonfire night; a firework slowly zipping into the sky then exploding.

He switched his eyes frantically between her stomach and her eyes. "Are you joking?"

Nerves flipped in her belly as though there were five babies in there doing somersaults. "Are- does that... upset you?"

She'd barely finished her sentence when he swooped down to kiss her; she could feel the grin pressing against her lips as they nearly toppled into the tub. "Woah!" He pulled her back with even more gentleness than he ever had before. Then he ran his hand across her cheek softly. "You know it's what I want."

"But this early?" She bit her lip. "This doesn't exactly follow our ten year plan."

He smirked, correcting her " _your_ ten year plan, so is this alright with you?"

She took only a second to think about it, before nodding. "Having a baby early was my nightmare when I was younger, but now I'm twenty-one and I'm not going anywhere, neither are you," she squeezed his hand with a teasing smile. "I didn't think anyone could work as hard as me, but you do- we can both cope with this- more than that, we can thrive." She put her own hand back on her stomach. "I can't believe I didn't have him with me before today, in just a few minutes everything feels different."

" _I_ can't believe he'll be with us next year!" As he said it, a series of squeals carried into the room; Narcissa spilling the news to the other adults. The two soon-to-be-parents burst out laughing as they realised there were five children in this house, not just one.


	4. Every Christmas Here By Your Side

_**Day 4- Every Christmas From Now On, I'll Be Here By Your Side:**_

When the magical buzz on her arm woke them both up, Hermione kissed her fiancé on the cheek, whispering "merry Christmas sweetie." His eyes still shut, Draco smiled with contentment before following her out of bed to the nursery just down the hall. The first night after they'd put Scorpius into his own room she'd aired her shock to Finky, Draco's childhood nurse, that they hadn't been woken up in the night. The elf had shifted guiltily on her feet and it quickly became clear that she'd soundproofed the room so as not to disturb them! Hermione did want her son to be independent, so she now held herself back from going to him in the night, but she didn't want him to be lying awake alone for hours, even if his nappy could magically absorb his excrements. "And happy holidays to you too my angel!" She grinned, lifting the crying boy out of his cot, dropping his crying.

"Ooh!" Draco gasped in an over exaggeration that had her sniggering. "What's this?" He took off the tiny stocking at the end of the cot and they both widened their eyes, pointing at it. Scorpius's little grey ones followed their lead. The first object he pulled out was a Honeydukes tub of mince pie baby food, which they allowed Scorpius to try as a special festive dessert for breakfast. Hermione crossed her fingers behind her back, and indeed, her little boy's face lit up with a beam. "Just you wait till you try an actual one of those!" His daddy chuckled as he produced the second stocking filler; a rattle with tiny reindeers inside zooming through the sky, led by a familiar red-nosed one. This delighted Scorpius even more than the food had, even causing his face to crumple as it momentarily disappeared, but Draco quickly produced more gifts from the tiny storage space, until his hand came out empty.

Hermione jiggled him up and down, glancing at Draco. "Time for Mummy and Daddy's present now!" Her lips felt dry with anticipation; only a few more hours.

* * *

After dropping Scorpius off with Molly, the pair were pulled apart by their friends and parents with only a quickly mouthed "love you" from her to him, and an amusing response that "I know"- she'd shown him Star Wars for the first time last night! Pushing her down into a chair, Ginny called out for a series of increasingly ridiculously named makeup items to be passed to her by Daphne Greenglass- she and Draco had decided to try to join their friendship semi-circles into one, which had gone surprisingly well- at least with all of his friends except Pansy Parkinson, who was out of the bridesmaid lineup and their lives for calling the bride a grimy skank. Things had gone less well with her friends, but Ginny seemed to be getting along with Daphne now, and hopefully the boys were following suit. Behind her, Narcissa worked wonders on her hair whilst her mother sat blubbering about embarrassing childhood stories that had everyone hooting and, at one point, the lipstick painting Hermione's lips twice as big as Ginny lost all control and burst out laughing!

* * *

Meanwhile the men were taking advantage of the magically heated tents to play a game of Quidditch, all sworn to secrecy for fear that Hermione would curse them with spells they didn't even know if she found out what they were doing in her wedding venue! They decided to switch up the teams which meant that Harry, Draco and their trainee (Hermione's father) played against Ron, Lucius and Blaise- whilst Theo, who was a little bitter about having broken his arm in their last game meaning that his wife was forcing him to make it heal naturally, umpired. It was a true bonding exercise, and to his utter shock Draco actually fist bumped the Boy Who Lived at one point! His weaselling sidekick seemed a little jealous of this, but Draco knew just how to resolve the tension. After the game he snuck the boys down into the kitchen, all of them working together as component parts to successfully carry out their reconnaissance mission! They would have succeeded too, except for the one house elf a little too good at their job who noticed him reaching for a canapé and slapped his hand away, chastising him to go get ready. With a taste of the delicious food to come in his stomach, Weasley was a lot more amiable, still a little cautious, but the two Gryffindors actually joined in the others' conversations for the first time! It didn't take them too long to get ready, certainly not the endless hours he suspected the girls were undertaking, but nonetheless, a lot of care went into the process. Placing Hermione's favourite flower, a lily, into his lapel pocket, Draco took a nervous breath and turned to the lions. "How do I look?"

The two of them exchanged a confused look, silently communicating on what to say. "Instinct wants me to say like Moaning Mrytle's toilet water," said Harry, shifting his glasses as if to get a better look. "But that wouldn't exactly be true..."

Draco chuckled slightly at the reluctant honesty and put a firm but friendly grip on either of their shoulders. "I'm asking because apart from her father- who I'm honestly more terrified of in this precise moment than I ever was of the Dark Lord-" the three of them glanced over to the man who was laughing with the pure geniality of a hippogriff. "You two are the closest to her, and I want this day to be perfect for her. It's been quite the buildup."

Ron surveyed his face with sincerity, then dipped his head to gather courage before fixing Draco with genuine eyes. "You look pretty bloody dapper mate." And he knew the redhead was a terrible liar, so that meant more than any ridiculously overstated sonnet would have.

* * *

As Hermione was exiting her preparation room, the protection detail in front of her started to scream, spinning her around as she heard a rustle from in front of her. "This is ridiculous!" She declared in a giggle, knowing that her fiancé was just a few feet away experiencing the same over-protectiveness.

Sure enough, Draco's voice chastised her, "I want to give you the muggle traditions you deserve!" As his voice got further away he quickly added, "but don't worry sweetheart! As we agreed, there'll be plenty of Wizarding ones too!"

With the boys gone Narcissa took her hand. "Come on dear! Time for you to legally join my family already!" They all laughed at the poised woman's bubbly childlike excitement, galloping behind her out to the garden, as well as they could do in at least three inch heels!

* * *

As the wedding march began to swell, Richard Granger turned to his daughter with a tear in his eye. Hermione's mouth formed a shocked O as she gestured for her maid of honour Ginny to send the other bridesmaids down the aisle. "Dad?" She asked, gently taking his hand.

He wiped at his eyes a little shamefully. "Oh Hermy I'm sorry," it was a symbol of the emotion of the day that she didn't cringe even a little at the childish nickname. "I should be the one holding it together! I just can't believe my baby girl's a grown up mother, witch and, in only a few minutes, wife!"

"It just adds to the reasons you can love me Daddy," she promised, hugging him delicately so as not to crush her dress or hair, even though she knew it had been magically set, the natural urge was still there. "You're not losing any part of me. I won't be disappearing into the Wizarding World, and I'm not getting rid of the Granger name- I never want to forget who I am and what I've been through."

And then it was their turn. She smiled at her guests as she walked down the aisle, winking at their mothers and her son, who all looked slightly more put together than her father. With red eyes, he told a sheepish Draco sternly "look after her" before softening up to add "I know you will son, you already have."

She felt quite tearful herself watching her father and fiancé embrace, but she managed to gather herself together for her speech; Wizarding weddings consisted of these rather than any technical priest jargon. "If you'd have asked me my opinion on this man in the first couple of years of school, I'd have told you point blank that he was the least tolerant, most hateful little bully I'd ever met!" Draco arched his eyebrows in a mocking 'thanks!' "If you'd asked me in sixth year I would still have believed he held those beliefs, but I defended him against my friends' accusations of unabashed villainy, identifying that he wasn't the ultimate evil we were facing." At this, Draco's face clenched briefly with the memories of that awful year but somehow simultaneously softened as he realised she hadn't hated him entirely in his darkest hour. Whilst we were on the run we ended up being captured and transported to Malfoy Manor, but when Draco refused to identify us I truly believe he saved our lives, even if I didn't come away entirely trauma free." As if he recognised the horror of their memories, Scorpius chose that moment to shriek extremely loudly. Luckily it just made the congregation laugh, as Hermione told him it was all okay, they were getting to the good part now. "Draco is truly a marvel to me. Truly a different person than the one I used to know. I recognised that change even before he and his parents chose their final side, but since then we grew closer first as co-head students, then friends, and finally more." She put a finger to her lips, gesturing at the baby, which made the flower girls- Bill and Fleur's respectively 3 year and 18 month old daughters- giggle with unadulterated delight. 5 year old page boy Teddy Lupin's hair changed from snowy white to a romantic pink as he joined in as well. "Those who've known me for a long time, or perhaps even a little, will know that I have an internal locus of control- I don't believe in fate or destiny, and I never thought much about love before Draco. I still don't fully trust in that whole one soulmate thing, I don't believe that this magical day is the final page of a storybook and we can go waltzing off into the sunset." She glanced around at the winter wonderland they were standing in and continued, "There will be snowstorms, struggles, disagreements, and I want there to be. I want a full, 'no regrets' life with you," This last sentence she addressed only to him. "Because maybe you weren't destined to be my soulmate, but you're the only one I want."

"Can I kiss you already?" Draco asked, making everyone laugh aloud, including her. She felt a slight weight lift off her shoulders, thankful that she'd done it right. She wanted the parts that they had assigned as magical to be exactly what Draco knew and wanted, and the only Wizarding weddings she'd been to were Bill and Fleur's and Harry and Ginny's- and the Weasleys weren't exactly traditional Purebloods! Her fiancé took one of her hands in his, tracing a gentle pattern up it, before taking the other hand as well, holding them softly as if they were porcelain china. She glanced at him in confusion. "Touching you is something that I balked at as a child." She squeezed his hands gently, noticing that he looked as if he were about to beat himself up. Her assumption was correct. "You're right, I was a prejudiced, evil boy. It's no defence, but that is just how I grew up." She had to keep all of her support focused on Draco, but she knew his parents would be remorseful in their seats too. "I was told that I was a prince, and one day everything would be restored to its rightful order, with me leading the charge." He broke their eye contact for only a moment to look not out to the audience but specifically at their son as if Scorpius was sending him the strength to carry on. It felt as though everyone else melted away. "I thought my fairytale was finally coming true when the Dark Lord returned, but in actuality it was the beginning of my nightmare. I won't mislead you into thinking I had noble intentions in defying him, no, I started to question my position for a value I still hold as superlative; my family. But yes," he admitted. "That fracturing of loyalty started me down a path of questioning everything I used to know. When I made the decision to return to school after the war I saw everything in an exceedingly different light. I'm not saying it was easy, quite the opposite. My father knew it wouldn't be, and he begged me to just start training under him, that he could find ways around the qualifications I technically needed." He sighed. "But I saw it as some sort of penance. I didn't expect to be made head boy, and I was even more surprised to receive a letter asking for peace from the new head girl." She remembered writing it, taking a break from searching for her parents, hoping that he didn't laugh her off. She didn't tell Harry or Ron in case he did, but she'd been thrilled to receive an amicable response. "Some of my old friends were a little awkward at first, and if that was my friends, you can only imagine how awful it was with my old enemies." Now he did turn to the audience slightly. "I don't ask you to pity me. Please don't. I deserved for the tables to be turned, but that doesn't mean I was any less thankful for the kindness and partnership Hermione offered me in our roles, and the friendship that developed out of it." Lifting her hand, he kissed it gently, making her desperate to kiss him on the lips. "As a naive man, it was only on the night of the Yule Ball that I realised my feelings," he explained. "But when I did, I had to acknowledge that begrudging admiration had been there through all the cruel years, and that those feelings weren't a sudden thing, they had been sprouting for months." With more intensity than ever before he looked into her eyes and promised, "just as you stood by me that night in front of everyone who hated me, I swear to stand by you forever Hermione. I don't believe in fairytales anymore either, but I believe in you and me."

She felt a tiny tear trickle down her face, and saw one on Draco too, like matching tattoos. Their mothers stood up, one holding Scorpius, the other a cushion with two rings on it. Ideally they'd wanted their son to be ring bearer, but then they'd decided they didn't want to wait any longer to get married, so he was getting a little help. Narcissa levitated one ring into the baby's little fingers, guiding it to a drop into Draco's hand, which the blond thanked him for, everyone chuckling with delight. After slipping the rings onto their hands, the audience jumped to their feet; the symbol that they could finally swoop towards each other for the kiss that symbolised their official union. They didn't notice the cheering or even the magical release of snow that poured down on them all until their lips parted and she leant her head gently into her husband's shoulder, looking out at their worlds combined, something she never anticipated. Along with their friends and family, the newly married couple indulged in their Christmas wedding feast and then they danced all night, after transfiguring her huge furry skirts into a more manageable cocktail dress!

 ** _OMG 10 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!_**


	5. I Believe in Father Christmas

**_Day 5- I Believe in Father Christmas:_**

With their toddler shrieking and screaming, as he had been doing for the smallest of reasons recently, Hermione pulled up a website that tracked Father Christmas to distract him. Indeed, it worked, but seeing Draco staring at them with a set lip, she took her husband's arm and pulled him into the next room. "What's the problem?" She asked him, knowing from his expression that he had one.

Draco put his hands briefly on his hips then released them, the signal that he wasn't looking forward to it, but it was time to ramp up for a long discussion. "I don't know if I agree with this Father Christmas thing."

"What do you mean 'this thing'?" She turned on him immediately, glancing through the wood and glass door to see Scorpius still thankfully focused on the screen. "You don't want him to believe in Father Christmas?"

"No," he said decidedly. "I don't think it's healthy to lie to our son."

"It's not lying!" Hermione exclaimed. "Before I knew that magic really existed, this was the only type I had for years."

"And how did you feel when it was yanked away from you?"

She made a despairing hand gesture. "When I aired my carefully thought out suspicions to my parents and they delicately explained the truth, yes I was a little sad but I'd had so many wonderful years and it wasn't jarring, but a subtle realisation."

He shrugged. "But what if Scorp doesn't find out like that and is instead utterly traumatised?"

The sixteen month old in the other room's attention span had run out and he was now investigating the baubles on the tree just like Crookshanks used to do. "Draco, tens of billions of children around the world have been through this process and turned out just fine; better perhaps even than they would have been without it."

"Neither I nor any of my friends experienced it and we're the ones who grew up in this world."

"I think you could have done with Father Christmas," she told him stubbornly. "Maybe you wouldn't have turned out so..."

"So what?" He challenged her with a dangerous expression.

She shook her head. "You know exactly what I mean! So- so- cruel! If you'd have believed in him maybe-"

"I'd have been more nice than naughty?" Draco scoffed. "Darling please, people aren't good because they're worried some divine being is watching them at all times and will reward them! Plenty of evil people have in fact done what they did due to that faith! It's about values and beliefs- and biochemistry."

Exhaling, she put a hand to her forehead and sunk into the sofa, watching Scorpius next door. "Okay," she admitted reluctantly. "That's true, but look at the magic he had in his eyes watching that website! The excitement as we opened the last door on our advent calendar! He doesn't really know what's going on yet, but the awe and wonder is still contagious. I want to watch that develop every year, and show him how wonderful it feels to believe there's someone out there that marvellous and unique."

Draco landed beside her to watch their son together for a moment before turning to her and saying, "well that's both our closing statements wrapped up. Final decision time."

She chuckled. "Some good points on both sides."

Nodding, he lay his hand on hers gently. "I have concerns, as I'm sure you've realised, but yes, your childhood does sound good. I just-" he took a shaky breath as she squeezed the hand resting on hers whilst he stared at his mini-me as though he were growing up by a year a second in front of his eyes. "I never want him to lose faith: in us, in magic, in anything and everything wonderful."

"In this world," she told him, staring at the elf running over to pull Scorpius away from the tree, who he began to try to ride like a reindeer flying through the sky underneath the literal fairy lights that resembled the stars. "I think that's impossible. Personally, mine has only become more fantastical since I stopped believing." A chorus line of sugar plum fairies danced along the tree, allowing a distraction for the poor elf to direct the toddler towards! "But I don't want you to be uncomfortable, so how about this?" She reasoned. "If Scorp doesn't ask about this before he goes to Hogwarts, we tell him that summer. That way he has something wonderful to look forward to and prove to him that magic truly, deeply does exist. More incredible than he could ever have imagined."

"And you don't think someone will tell him at this 'primary school'?" Draco asked her nervously. They'd both decided they didn't want any children of theirs to be home-schooled. They wanted them to get to know other children before that, and be comfortable around them, as well as to get a normal, not just magical education. Draco had loved being surrounded by his family at the time, but now when he looked back he agreed he could have become more tolerant if he'd been schooled with a combination of blood types rather than only meeting a few of his parents' friends' Pureblood children. Nevertheless, he was still worried about how their son would be treated by the teachers and students after hearing many stories about Wizarding children bullied by muggles.

"Maybe that will be how he finds out, but we can do damage control. I believe in you and me." Grinning at the quote from his vows, Draco kissed her sweetly on the lips.

* * *

After filling up a glass with whisky and placing a mince pie beside the carrot on the plate, Hermione placed the glass down by the fireplace herself, handing the plate over to Scorpius, close to the floor to limit the risk of him dropping and smashing it. Luckily her coaching whispers to place it down gently worked out, and once they had done that Draco lifted him up with a playful roar, despite her complaints not to get him ramped up before bed! The three of them chased up the stairs, and whilst they tucked him under the covers, Draco gestured to the stocking at the end of the bed. "Now Scorp, you have to go to sleep nice and early tonight because Father Christmas can only come when you're asleep, and you don't want to hold him up, do you? You saw on the line how many places he has to visit." She stifled her laughter at his inaccurate modern terminology and instead nodded to encourage him, proud that he was taking the lead to show that they truly were on the same page. It had been true what she'd said on their wedding day; things weren't always easy, but they always managed to get through them.

"Ma-ma?" Said Scorpius as they were turning out the light and leaving the room. She turned around to ask him what was wrong. "What if I can't sleep?" He asked in a nervous little voice that sounded oddly like Draco's. There was no way she could have mistaken it, but something in the unsure tone...

She perched herself on the edge of his bed and traced a gentle pattern across his forehead. "Count the reindeers flying through the sky above us. "Dasher... and Dancer... and Prancer... and Vixen..."

Between each name Scorpius tried to repeat them, getting quieter with each name as he drifted off, until he didn't repeat them anymore. She turned to Draco in the darkness and smiled at him, receiving a broad grin back.

* * *

The two of them crept around giggling like they were both as young as their son, trying to keep as silent as possible whilst they slipped the fillers into the stocking, including the traditional orange Draco had protested against them wasting! She'd managed to convince him that it had to be done, even though she knew no child in the world actually ate the fruit in their stocking! Then they used revelio to pull the presents from his list out of their cupboard and carry them downstairs, returning to levitating after she dropped one and her husband began to panic that the Baby's First Chess Set had smashed. With a pile of presents assembled overflowing from below the tree, they went back up to bed, but it didn't stop Draco from continuing to worry. As she attempted to snuggle against him he continued to question whether they'd forgotten everything, getting up twice to check that the cupboard was certainly empty, and triple checking that the revelio charm hadn't missed anywhere.

"Drake," she told him sleepily. "It's fine! I have a list- I have multiple lists! Everything is perfect." And that was the same sentence she repeated in the morning when Scorpius came barrelling into their bedroom dragging a heavy stocking behind hIm. Everything was perfect; how could it get any better?


	6. When a Child is Born

_**Day 6:**_

 _ **Guest: Thank you for the review, hope you enjoy the rest of these!**_

The family of three and a half sat watching Hermione's favourite childhood Christmas film, their now tradition on the night before the main event. Of course, she was always well-prepared with her gift wrapping and sending, but this year she'd been extra sure that everything was prepared so that nothing could go wrong, what with her due date being a week ago! Scorpius had been nearly a month early, but this little one was taking their time! They all wanted a new member of their family more than any other Christmas present, but it seemed as if the stork might not be delivering until after the holiday, that was until Hermione's water broke. She'd been experiencing some contractions, but hadn't thought much of it as during the past trimester she'd had what her doctor said was a magical equivalent to Braxton Hicks where the child's developing magic bubbled inside it, and therefore her. However, this magic lacked power and so was not really painful, but it became clear that these were quite different. She didn't want to ruin her son's engagement with the film, but she knew that she had to tell Draco, gesturing to the little splashes on the furniture. Her husband sparked into action, running out for the car that she'd forced him to get because recent scientists had advised pregnant women not to apparate, and certainly not to use portkeys. Scorpius glanced back and forth between the two of them, understandably a little confused despite their thorough explanations of how he would be alright when his mother went into labour.

Draco helped her into the car, despite her arguments that she could make it alone just fine, whilst he called Finky to look after Scorpius and to Floo his parents to come. As they drove away Hermione kept her eyes on her upset looking son peering through the window with his hands pressed against it, not turning her head around until he was out of sight, but the last image she saw of him was his elf nurse tapping on his shoulder.

"Oh my Godric, oh my Godric, Oh my Godric," she cursed, running her hands through her hair. "Why did it have to be right this moment?"

"Calm down Mione," her husband told her, despite the fact that his own hands on the steering wheel were white. She'd learnt to drive when she was seventeen, but Draco had only done so this year. "This is something you can't control, and we're going to get something wonderful out of it."

"I know," she said. "But I'm never having sex with you in March ever again!"

* * *

When they got to the Yorkshire contingent of St Mungo's, a group of doctors were standing in a circle around the Christmas tree outside singing a rather explicit version of Silent Night. Upon seeing the two of them struggling, one of them jibed another "not in the maternity department!" Thankfully they actually came over to help after that comment, producing a wheelchair to levitate her into. They raced down the corridors, with Draco explaining at a breakneck speed anything medically relevant, and a few things that weren't just to be on the safe side!

* * *

A few hours into the night Hermione was taking long heaving breaths, waiting to become dilated. It was going well and it seemed as if this child wouldn't be arriving until at least the 26th. "Go home!" She suddenly yelled at Draco out of nowhere. He pulled a perplexed face at her from his position in the stiff hospital chair beside her. "Scorpius can't have no presents!"

"I asked Finky to tell my parents to do it," he reminded her.

She shook her head. "What if she forgot?" Her breathing started to speed up. "Or- or- we won't be-"

"Mrs Granger-Malfoy," The doctor told her. "I need you to try to calm down."

"What she said," ordered Draco in the same tone. "Honey, I know you don't like thing being out of your control, and I never imagined spending a Christmas away from our child either, but my parents have been fully briefed on what to do, and they're going to invite yours around to help them out if we're not back tomorrow. This kid has been keeping us waiting a little, but I think they know what they want, and they're clearly not going to wait until we're ready for them."

She leant back against the pillows, allowing herself a moment to process what he'd said, and finding that there was actually a lot of truth in it. If only magic could speed past this part. Or even allow her some pain medication that didn't conflict with the magic her baby was expressing.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning their second child finally entered the world to the sound of returned Christmas carols, this time genuine ones which were friendly for pink newborn ears! The music of the volunteer carollers in the hallways vibrated through to them, enhancing the relieved smile on Hermione's face as her daughter was passed into her arms and Draco leaned over them to gaze into the eyes that matched his, whereas Scorp's were far closer to her almond despite his other Malfoy features. She glanced at her husband, missing their other child despite the near perfectness of this moment. He immediately knew what was wrong and showed her a scrap piece of paper. "My parents just sent me this to say that Scorp's up but he's refusing to open his presents until we're there." She couldn't help herself from making an extremely maternal 'awww' face, despite simultaneously wanting him to be able to experience this wonder without her inconvenient birth-giving disturbing it!

* * *

When she saw her parents waving through the hospital room window Hermione wanted to leap to her feet and race over to her son but Draco gave her a stern look to remain where she was, so she briefly pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. Looking at her as though she were about to fall apart, Scorpius asked his father "is Mummy okay?"

"Mummy's absolutely wonderful now that you're here darling," she told him, patting the space next to her like an excitable puppy. In response Lucius lifted him up then plopped him down, crowding around with the other three grandparents to coo over the baby. Scorpius seemed a little more unsure as he surveyed the alien. "This is your little sister," she told him proudly, exchanging another smile with Draco, who was leaning on their son's shoulder beaming. "Want to hold her?" His eyes flew away from the child to look at her like a wide eyed owl.

"What if I break her?" The adults all chuckled, and Hermione told him confidently that he'd be great. Okay, fine, she used a little wandless magic at first to give him a confident start, but she released it as she saw the small smile lighting up his face like Christmas decorations! "What's her name?" Asked the two year old.

The adults all leant forwards, clearly something they'd been wanting to know as well. It was a tradition in the Black family to name children after constellations. It was important to Draco and she thought they sounded quite lyrical so she'd happily agreed, but they'd chosen Scorpius's middle name Elijah purely because they loved it both alone, but more important, along with his other ones. If they'd thought choosing his name was difficult it was even harder to pick a girl's one that went along with it. There were so many more constellations in the sky than she'd ever realised, enough for generations of Malfoy's to come. It had led to endless nights of stargazing and pointing. And she made a long list of middle names she loved as well, mostly starting with A for some reason: Ava; Amelie; Alexis; Athena. The two parents linked hands and announced, "her name is Lyra Atlanta Malfoy."

And so their daughter was officially christened whilst bells rang up and down the halls and the hospital elves delivered little gifts!


	7. You Make It Feel Like Christmas

**_Day 7- You Make It Feel Like Christmas:_**

When Hermione woke up on Christmas Eve and reached out to sleepily wrap her arms around Draco, she ended up disappointed. Yawning, she prepared to get up, but then she noticed the little slip of paper on his pillow. Worry immediately filled her that something had gone wrong: he'd rushed to the hospital; he'd rushed one of the kids to the hospital; he'd rushed both of the kids to the hospital- but it quickly became clear that was wrong. Instead of bad news, she found a riddle. Presumably his creative present for her, since they'd both agreed that's what they wanted this year rather than anything you could get in a catalogue.

 _Stars in the sky brighten up the night,_

 _Guiding reindeer on their way._

 _Gaze up at those lights,_

 _You'll find something that wasn't there yesterday._

She glanced automatically out the window, but it was no longer dark outside. Hmm... The little Ravenclaw voice in her head whirred through the possibilities until she leapt out of the bed in a eureka moment. She hopped down the stairs then jumped up onto the sofa in the living room, pumping her fist in delight as she tapped the scientifically inaccurate but colourful decorations on the ceiling that the kids had made yesterday. Her mouth shaped into an O as she felt a pulsation in her hand and looking down, saw that the words on the note had changed.

 _You've fulfilled my first trial,_

 _The rest, don't neglect._

 _Now look for some files,_

 _Because there's something you ought to accept._

That was easy enough. Draco sometimes worked from home for the family company, so he kept that paperwork in a cabinet in his office, and she filed her own work there too when she brought it home for what her husband mocked as 'extra credit'- a practise she'd been carrying out a lot more often recently as she tried to prove she could do everything at once and get that promotion she was eyeing up. Scanning the files, her gaze caught one with a little Cinderella sticker on it- Lyra had nearly worn out the DVD as she made them show it to her at least twice a week! Hermione took either end of the folder and held it above the desk to shake it, and sure enough, out dropped a single piece of paper: a drawing of a stick figure nearly the size of the paper, with a halo and a big smile that curved up out of her face and gold crayon streaks around her that looked like magical residue. In one hand she held a badge almost as big as her that read 'leeder of the Minestrie', although the last word had been crossed out and replaced by a capitalised WORLD! In the other she held the hand of a boy that came up to her waist rather than the more accurate knee, as well as somehow a floating stick figure wrapped in tinsel as if to strangle her. Maybe it wouldn't be featured in the Tate, but it had her sobbing and laughing with adoration, clutching the picture and swearing to herself never to throw it away.

After leaving the drawing on her desk for the time being, Hermione took a look at the next rhyme.

 _I hope you're wiping a tear_

 _Because I am too._

 _But do not fear,_

 _It's also a clue._

This furrowed her forehead, and she picked up the paper again, turning it around five times and even studying the back, but it wasn't until she saw the glint reflected in the mirror that she paid attention to the gold surrounding her miniature. Unsure, she tapped her wand to it but it turned out that she had been correct when the sparks gathered together and flew up out of the paper, making her gasp and throw her head back as though it were something threatening. Instead, the little sparks became a glowing golden lily floating down into the palm of her hand. She felt the note in her hand dissolve itself into shreds and then, by the time it hit the floor, nothing. It was silent in the room except for her breaths, completely silent in the whole house actually. It was the first time she'd noticed it, and she wondered where Draco and the kids were. Probably planning some spectacular finale- she really had a lot to live up to.

She gazed into the lily, and indeed, it's petals slowly unfurled, a line written on each in golden italic script just like that on the note.

 _Last step, my gorgeous Gryffindor_

 _And yes, you'll need to be bold._

 _Now make like a niffler,_

 _And search out that gold._

This had her snorting with adoration at her husband's terrible literary skills and wonderful heart. It was a little ambiguous though. Picking up her wand again, she re-read the riddle, focussing on the niffler part. Hmm...

"Revelio," she whispered, tracing a pattern from the lily to the floor, a smile cracking across her face as three different sized footprints appeared in front of her. Still in her pyjamas, she followed them downstairs, slipping a pair of boots onto her bare feet before she pulled open the door to run outside, coming to an abrupt stop before the fish pond. She peered in, remembering that he'd told her to be bold and wondering for a moment if she had to dive in. Luckily, it wasn't quite that bad, because she noticed a purple rectangular box floating in the water. They had a lot of fish, chosen and named by their children, but none of them were that shade. Taking a deep breath as if she really were about to dive in, she plunged her hand into the freezing water and clenched her fingers around the shape, pulling it up and shaking it, but when it left the water it was already magically dry- unfortunately that didn't extend to her hand. She brushed it against her dressing gown to dry off, then rubbed her hands together to try to warm them up a little. When she'd made a little progress, she glanced down at the box- which wasn't a box. In actuality it was a muggle IPod. Thinking of Draco trying to figure out how to work the contraption she burst out laughing, then pressed play.

Immediately, Wizzard's classic hit began to boom, and her three favourite people ran out from behind the greenhouse with reindeer antlers on the boys and a red and white furry Father Christmas hat fell over her daughter's eyes! They began to perform wonderful choreography that had her eyes morphing to baubles and her hand clapping over her mouth as they galloped and put on exceedingly over the top expressions to I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday! At the end of the performance she was beaming from ear to ear, extending her arms for the kids to run into them, with Draco embracing them in a big family group hug as well. He winked at her over their shoulders, and she gulped a little- she did have a lot to live up to.

* * *

That evening they left the kids at a big Christmas party at the Burrow with Teddy, Victoire, Dominique, James, George, Roxanne and the two babies, Albus and Louis. Molly and Arthur were ecstatic to get to have all their grandchildren there, for they treated her children in that way too even though she was no longer with Ron.

Meanwhile, Bill and Fleur were out on a date, and Hermione gathered all her friends and Draco's on the hill outside the Weasley home. Only Ginny knew what was going on, as she'd sought her assistance in finding the place she wanted since Wizarding World facilities weren't always accessible via a Google search. The two girls shared conspiratorial looks as the others continued to question where they were going, but they kept their lips zipped, preserving the secret. She'd told them to dress warm, but in December that was little of a hint. Even when they all grabbed onto the portkey and appeared in a snowy mountainous region, they still seemed entirely confused. Taking Draco's hand, she led the way over to a log cabin and proceeded to rap on the door.

"Did you bring us here to kill us?" Asked Theodore as he shifted from foot to foot in the snow.

The door swung open and there stood a plump white haired lady who bore more than a passing resemblance to a certain Mrs Claus. She beamed at the group of twenty-somethings and asked "Mrs Granger-Malfoy?" in a pleasant Scottish lilt rather than McGonagall's brash one. The muggleborn witch nodded, and the woman turned around. "PETE!" She yelled, in a shockingly loud voice from one so petite. "GET TEN BROOMS!"

* * *

Although they had neither the general Olympics nor its winter edition, wizards nevertheless enjoyed a snowy sport. Draco was not an exception to this rule, in fact, he made it a tradition to spend all of Boxing Day watching the secret new television channel for wizards that had been introduced two years ago in an attempt from Kingsley to move with the times. Naturally, his favourite was a festive version of the game he had spent his school days playing. Thus, when they rounded the corner to see swooping mountains and silver hoops, he turned even whiter than usual. "The official Scottish Winter Quidditch field?"

She nodded; taking a deep breath. "And, because I love you, I'm going to be getting on one of those death contraptions today too."

He swept her into a dip, kissing her as passionately as he ever had, perhaps even with more renewed fervour than she'd experienced!

* * *

The game was a special couples edition, because a few of the participants were much more comfortable in tag teams, with those who had actually flown before. Naturally, the married couples paired up: Draco and Hermione; Daphne and Theodore; Harry and Ginny (although their job was rather harder as they were both trying to control the broom and resultantly jerking about quite a lot)! Blaise and Goyle easily decided to go together as they were newly dating, abandoning a rather angry Pansy. The Slytherin girl refused to fly with Ron- and the Gryffindor immediately staunchly decided against it too to preserve his pride- so the uncoupled pair decided to umpire. However, they were quickly affected by the FOMO of watching the others throw magically compact snowballs instead of bludgers at each other as the girls (and Blaise) shrieked with laughter whilst the guys (and Ginny) narrowed their eyes in focussed concentration. 'Mrs Claus' also didn't like them impeding her authority so she decided to sub the pair in, despite their half-hearted reluctance. It was clear they really did want to join in, although that didn't stop them arguing with each other as they clamoured onto the broom. As the hosts, Hermione and Draco volunteered to take the first shift out so their friends could join in.

"What do you think love?" She asked him nervously as they leant the broom down and intertwined their hands to walk along the snow.

He grinned down at her, placing a quicker but still sweet kiss against her lips. "It's amazing! I never imagined I'd get to come here since I abandoned that brief professional Quidditch player dream!"

They laughed, remembering his contemplations before they counted down from three and opened their N.E.W.T result envelopes together. "But I think you win," she conceded. "It was so sweet to combine the kids' masterpieces, and those poems may not have been your best work, but that dance could have won Strictly!" She and Scorpius forced him to watch the show every Saturday- their son loved jiving and waltzing around the living room, so they had to keep their wands on hand to save any vase that might be kicked over!

"But this is fantastic!"

She grabbed both his hands, as if she'd come to the greatest realisation ever. "We're going to have to make point by point lists comparing each gift to different criteria."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I love you."


	8. It's a Marshmallow World for Sweethearts

**_Day 8- It's a Marshmallow World made for Sweethearts:_**

"What are you up to?" Asked Draco, coming up behind her and slowly threading his arms around her waist.

She rolled her eyes and whacked him lightly with the dish cloth. "What does it look like, idiot? I'm making a hundred gingerbread men for this Christmas bake sale at school!"

He glanced around under the cupboards and work tables. "I don't see Scorpius anywhere. Shouldn't he be the one making these?" Their son had been at school for nearly two terms, and they'd been taking turns to pick him up whenever they could, or if not then the job went to one of their parents, but so far he hadn't had to contribute anything more than his attendance. Every year at Little Oaks Primary School they had a Christmas Fair, where each class produced a stall. Reception were in charge of the baked goods, but Hermione wanted everything to be perfect. She wanted her son's cookies to be the best thing there and sell out first. There was no way she was going to give anyone the smallest of reasons to hurt him. But Draco cocked his head sideways. "I'm going to get him."

* * *

As predicted, Scorpius was more of a distraction than an aid; with the best of intentions, he still managed to spill an awful lot, and crack an egg on his foot- which had him scarred for life. The poor four year old burst out crying and ran off before she could magic it clean. Watching from the doorway, Draco accepted her triumphant look and admitted that perhaps Scorp wasn't quite ready for the trials of the kitchen. What she didn't expect was for him to produce his own apron and come over to join her.

"You've never cooked anything in your life!"

He put a mock hurt hand to his chest. "You're not exactly a pro chef yourself! Finky does all the cooking!" And she did it very well, but Hermione felt as though she'd missed out on the uni student period of learning to cook for herself. She'd baked a little with her father when she was younger- her mother never touched the oven- but it was now a rather rare occurrence. "Why don't we just use magic?" Asked Draco.

She picked up the wooden spoon and he stepped back as if she were about to hit him with it- hmm... no! "This isn't a magical school Draco, that's not fair!" Having stirred the mixture, she now grabbed the flour with one hand to pour it into the weighing thing, the recipe book balanced in the other.

"You shouldn't worry about following that precisely," he told her, and reached over. Several things happened at once. There was a toddler's scream from next door as Finky went running, the recipe book in her hand wobbled and then fell to the floor; the whole bag of flour tipped up onto the scales and flipped backwards into their faces. With a gasp, Hermione wiped her hand across her face to clear it. Draco turned to her with a quivering lip, then they both burst out laughing, throwing the white powder at each other and making the largest mess their kitchen had ever seen!

* * *

The gingerbread cooked- deformed enough from its original festive shapes of stars, trees and angels that it looked as though it had been made by a four year old- she had a feeling Finky had been at them after they left them in the oven to fix them up! She pulled Scorpius in for the more exciting part of decorating, having been out to buy a whole set of icing pipes and far too many decorations: little golden balls; red and green sprinkles; tiny snowmen; the whole shebang! The Primary Schooler was enthusiastic about this bit, getting straight into it whilst Hermione mixed lots of bowls of water, icing and food colouring to get the perfect shades. "Look Mummy!" He called out, so she came to stand behind him, putting her hands on his chair and peering down at his favourite masterpiece. "It's you!"

Automatically, she smiled at it, but then the expression started to slip from her face. "That's lovely Scorp, what about some more Christmas ones though?" She asked if she could eat it, and it was delicious, but she didn't want him to take that one to school. The wand, the cape- he was a child, but she didn't want anything to snowball and anyone to discover he was a wizard.

"This is the issue I had before," explained Draco as the two of them sat eating the Wizarding themed gingerbread biscuits.

She took a sip of Baileys and nodded. "He knows he can't reveal anything, but it must be hard living with one foot in each world at that age and not being able to merge them."

Draco took her hand. "He loves that school. Every day when he comes home he's so excited to tell us all about it."

"But can we have people over?" She bit her lip. "We need to, he's only been to other people's' so far."

"Come on, my lioness," Draco encouraged her. "We can send Finky to my parents', hide our wands and moving portraits in the cupboard, and I can act Muggle."

She giggled, stroking his face softly. "Want a trial shift?"

* * *

"Hello Draco's Mummy and Daddy," Mrs Brookchild greeted them as they walked into the school hall with their plate of gingerbread biscuits. "Thank you so much for volunteering to take the first shift!" They both smiled broadly as Scorpius ran straight ahead to his best friend Phoebe and started babbling about something to do with candy canes. They placed their plate down on the table with the others and moved behind it, as the reception teacher gave them a speedy rundown of how the finances worked and what each item cost. The two of them stood there for only a minute or so before they had their first customer.

Not a parent, but a school uniformed child chewing gum. This girl looked quite old, and clearly confident- probably a Year 6. "Five of those pretzel reindeer cupcakes things, lady," she ordered, as though this were a fast food queue she'd been in for six hours.

"Please," finished Hermione for her. The girl's head snapped to her and she raised an eyebrow. "If you want the cupcakes?"

The girl looked between her and the baked goods, then burst into tears and ran off. Draco turned to say something witty like "I didn't even say anything", but she put her finger to his lips and shushed him.

* * *

Thankfully things improved from there; there wasn't exactly a lower point to go to! They successfully engaged in some friendly muggle conversation with other parents, and sold a good deal of the produce, including all but four of their gingerbread biscuits! Near the end of their shift a grown woman in an elf costume with chocolate coloured skin and bouncier hair than Hermione's came over to them with a worn out expression to ask for a reindeer chocolate cupcake. "Do you guys happen to do coffee as well?" They did actually, so Hermione started on that, whilst the elf explained that a reluctant Reception child had been moved from Father Christmas's lap to hers to ease him off, and had proceeded to have an accident then and there. Shocked, Hermione dropped the mug on the floor, but thankfully it was only plastic!

She, Draco and their customer burst out laughing, and the woman took a bite of her cupcake, making sounds of delight as she exclaimed that this was definitely the best part of her day. "I hope that wasn't our Reception child," said Draco.

"You have one?" She scoffed down the last remnants of the cupcake before continuing. "Me too. What's yours' name? Let's just check he's not the one who peed on me, or else I'll be telling my daughter not to play dress up as his prince!"

The couple laughed again, both instantly getting along wonderfully with this woman. "His name's Scorpius," said Hermione as she poured out the coffee.

"Oh!" The elf exclaimed. "Scorpius is all my Phoebe talks about when she gets home! Scorpius this and Scorpius that- I've been so excited to have him over!"

"Draco Malfoy," her husband greeted the woman with a grinning handshake. "This is my wife Hermione."

"Claire DeMartino," She shook with each of them before happily taking the mug from Hermione. "Would you guys like to come back to my wife and I's?" At that moment Scorpius ran over with a dark haired little girl and grabbed both their hands, jerking between them.

"Please Mummy! Please Daddy!" He cried out, and the little girl jumped up to them as well, mimicking him "please Scorpy's Mummy! Please Scorpy's Daddy!"

The two of them exchanged a mischievous glance. Oh yes; they were ready for a muggle play date.


	9. Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride

_**Day 9-Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride Together**_ _ **:**_

For their fifth anniversary, Draco and Hermione left their kids with Claire and Kelly for the evening. They kept what they were doing a mystery despite the women's' guesses. "Are you flying to the moon?" Asked Claire, and they both laughed, despite it actually being the closest to their plans! They gave the kids a kiss each- Scorpius was naturally more dismissive because he was excited to spend the night with Phoebe, but Lyra was a little more clingy. Kelly managed to win her over by pulling her into the kitchen to make some cupcakes. They drove back to their house to make sure no muggles saw, and then they held hands to apparate to their destination.

* * *

Wrapped up warm in scarves and hats, the couple swung their held gloved hands as they strolled through Markt Square, the smell of pine and mulled wine filling the air. As many beautiful medieval and gothic buildings as Britain had, Bruges's were even more incredible. Especially as they were painted festive golds and reds for the season, with decorations to make them resemble gingerbread houses! Hermione took a long indulgent inhale, stopped by Draco excitedly pulling her towards a food stall, just as Harry and Ron would have done if they were here. Boys! She had to admit, watching the Belgian waffles form and then be coated in hot chocolate was nearly as lick-lickingly appetising as actually eating them! They went onto the next wooden chalet style store, filled with handmade decorations they perused for a long time before finally deciding on a little gift for each of the kids. They bought some mulled wine and then she was preparing to head onto the next stall, but Draco told her they had something booked. Surprised, she raised her eyebrows, but he just offered her his arm and guided her around the market to a far less crowded alleyway. She was about to ask if he was taking her here to kill her when she heard a neighing like noise and looked up to see a a crystalline carriage driven by a pristine glistening white horselike creature- except that it had six legs and a gorgeous lion like mane! Guiding the creature was a woman in a metallic two piece set with off-white coloured flowers braided throughout her silvery hair. "Mr Malfoy?" She called down to them, coming to land when he nodded yes. Draco handed over a few galleons, then helped her into the carriage up the glass steps. She may have been in leggings and a fur coat, but she felt like Cinderella with her prince tonight.

Albeit a few more well deserved nerves. The fairytale hadn't involved flying through the air! But she found that the nerves quickly turned into excitement. As they flew up into the air she let go of Draco's arm and shifted over to the window, her hands on the edges as she leaned out, watching the marketplace grow smaller like a little Christmas village.

"Careful there!" Draco warned. "Who's going to protect the elves if you fall? Father Christmas's presents will never get out!" Their kids believed the man in red had his own huge workforce of house elves to help him.

"I'd hope you'd honour my legacy!" She teased him, but she did move away from the edge a little to snuggle into the crook of his arm while they both kept watching. "You're a good secret keeper, I had no idea you had this in mind."

He pointed to himself. "Slytherin."

* * *

Their ride ended far too quickly for her liking, but Hermione had expected to land in the same place. It took her a few moments to look around and realise that they were in a magical not a muggle area. She looked at Draco with joking accusation and he smirked again. "Slytherin."

* * *

The magical Christmas market was even more incredible. There was a chocolate chalet where the wizard claimed to cast an enchantment into the bar to make it taste like your relationship. Hermione was a little sceptical, but she had to admit that the dark chocolate with honey flakes was marvellous. A tiny looking doorway expanded into a giant department store sized shop with beautifully handmade dress robes in golds, reds and greens, with reindeer or shepherd lacy patterns. When they emerged from that shop they heard a Belgian voice calling out to round people up. Caught up in the crowd, they gravitated towards it as well, seeing a huge tree ahead that seemed to go up to the sky. They bought a glass of mulled wine each as the chatter persisted for a few minutes, and then that same loud voice began to cry out.

"Residents and visitors," Draco translated for her in a whisper. "Every year we light a tree the night after the muggles do theirs just a few streets away. Before the war this occurred on the same night but now we encourage the Wizarding population to attend both. I was present at the muggle tree lighting last night and may I say, it was one of the most awe inspiring moments of my life."

"That's wonderful," Hermione murmured back. "I never would have anticipated my two worlds intertwining so well. We should take this Bruges tradition back home."

Draco nodded, and then they both joined the silence and accompanied the others in lighting the ends of their wands as an inner group of wizards circled the tree and began to run around, their wands lowered to the ground. They slowly swooped them up, repeating the _lumos_ spell with increasing vigour, reminiscent of O Come All Ye Faithful, the carol she'd always had the most fun with at primary school! With incredible majesty, the tree began to light from the bottom up with glowing candles, making the cold toned baubles visible against the green fir, and once they reached the top a firework shot up from it into the sky and exploded in blues and whites and silvers; not just a random pattern but into the shape of a snowflake. The flecks tumbled down from the sky to fall amongst them for the children, and the more childish amongst them, to try to catch between their hands. Hermione was unashamed to say that they were among those clapping their hands together!

"Careful there!" Draco teased her.

She just stuck her tongue out as she successfully caught a spark and felt it disintegrate in her palms. "Gryffindor!"


	10. Deck the Halls

_**Day 10- Deck the Halls:**_

She was proud of Draco for resisting the temptation to use magic to finish pumping up the inflatable Father Christmas, despite being as red in the face as the old man's costume by its end. He certainly could have, since she, Claire and Kelly had finished with their inflatables and stringing up the lights, so had gone inside to set up the snack the children were clamouring for, while she said she'd wait for her husband. The kids were still outside, but paying little attention as they ran around playing some game. Draco and Hermione only turned around to look at them when they heard Phoebe angrily telling her brother to let her be Frosty. Naturally Scorpius was standing right by her, and Lyra was napping inside. Hermione was about to step in and suggest a peaceful resolution when Phoebe thrust out her arms to push Leo away, and a gold forcefield like energy shot out of her hands, throwing him back into the bushes. The two adult wizards' mouths dropped open and then they ran forward to check that the four year old was alright. He seemed to be; getting up and rubbing his head with no apparent pain. The couple glanced between each other. 'Was that-?' Draco mouthed to her. She nodded in reply.

"She didn't mean to do it Mummy!" Declared Scorpius, standing in front of his best friend protectively.

Kelly appeared from the front door with a perplexed expression. "Is everything alright? We heard shouting- which woke Lyra up." She glanced at the children critically but teasingly, the nearly two year old in her arms.

Scorpius and Phoebe looked up at her with wide deer-in-the-headlights-expressions. "Just a little skirmish." She explained, because she knew from experience that it was certainly accidental- _accidental magic._

* * *

Claire poured out warm eggnog into cups, making a point of giving the adults the alcoholic one and the children a recipe more suited to them. They all laughed; although Draco and Hermione's minds were still elsewhere. "I don't know if this stacks up to that coffee from two years ago," she praised the Gryffindor. "I don't think anything ever can. After what I'd been through, that was the best snack I've ever had!" They'd decided to work the Class 2 stall together this year rather than sending anyone back into the grotto, AKA the headmaster's office. "I only volunteered because it was such easy money back when I did it at 15."

Kelly gave her wife a proud kiss on the cheek, which the kids didn't groan at- a sure sign they were still spooked from the incident outside. She supposed nothing like this had ever happened to Phoebe then, and certainly not that Scorpius had seen it- he would have told them. "My first Christmas job was in a card shop- a pretentious card shop." Kelly corrected herself. "Everytime someone entered, we had to burst into 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'- even if we were serving another customer! We didn't get many customers!" They all laughed in synchronicity and then she asked the couple if they'd ever had Christmas jobs.

"Hmm? Oh no!" Hermione looked away from Phoebe to her friend. "Far too busy" Researching Triwizard Tournament Tasks? Protecting elf rights? Hunting horcruxes? "Revising."

"You're such a Sheldon!" Kelly chuckled.

This was enough of a distracting mystery for Draco's brow to furrow. "It's a TV show that started airing this year," Claire informed him with an understanding grimace- she hated comedies.

"It's a lifestyle!" Corrected Kelly.

* * *

"Do we tell them?" Hermione whispered to Draco after their friends went into the kitchen to get onto dinner.

Her husband ran his hands through his hair. "I don't-" she bit her lip, knowing it was hard for him not to know things about the Wizarding World, just as it was for her, but for different reasons. "You probably know more about it than me, being, you know..." he jerked his head at the adjacent room.

"I had no clue until I received my letter," she tried to think back to that long ago time. "I mean, I guess there were some signs... so does that mean we just leave it for the school to tell her in five and a half years?"

Eventually they decided to send McGonagall a letter. The headmistress reassured them that everything was fine, and the family would be contacted if there were any dangerous outbursts. Apart from that, she said, it was perfectly natural for children to experience momentary losses of control and they all recovered fairly quickly. They kept an eye on Phoebe of course, and from seeing her on the playground and at their house when she came by with Scorp a few times, it was clear she had forgotten it. Their son on the other hand, despite obeying their request not to talk to her about it, was still curious about what had happened.

* * *

"What are you up to Scorp?" Asked Draco as he peered down at the piece of paper their son had put on the paper, a focussed expression in his face as he pressed the crayon into it.

Hermione kept her eyes on her daughter to give Scorpius the impression of privacy, unsure if this was going to be 'just a Daddy thing'. "I'm writing an extra note to Father Christmas," the five year old explained. They'd already sent off their letters with the address 1 North Pole at the end of November. Naturally, he'd penned his after lengthy discussions with his best friend and checks that nothing overlapped so they could borrow each other's' gifts. "Asking him to send Phoebe to big school with me."

She couldn't help herself from looking over in that moment, it was so sweet. Draco's eyes twinkled knowingly, "I don't think you're going to have to send that." Scorpius however, just looked up, confused. "She is a witch." McGonagall had confirmed that her name had indeed appeared in the book at Hogwarts. Excitement eking from his bones, Scorpius leapt up and jumped with delight! "You have to keep it a secret, like a surprise party," Draco told him seriously.

At this, Scorpius made an attempt to roll his eyes, which ended up looking more like the angel bobble head in their car. "I know that Daddy! I'm not stupid!" She snorted with laughter, despite her best attempts to contain it. There was a reason why she'd gone into administration rather than espionage.

It was evil that was in his eyes now as Draco exchanged a look with Scorpius, then her two boys grabbed either end of the tinsel on the table and ran around her in a circle to wrap her up in it as Lyra cackled with traitorous delight!


	11. When the Snowman Brings the Snow

**_Day 11- When the Snowman Brings the Snow:_**

As usual on Christmas Morning, Hermione woke up to her two children jumping up and down on the bed, shaking their parents awake. However, what they were saying was what had her confused. "Let's go outside! Come on! Come on!" She looked over at Draco in confusion but he just shrugged back at her, not in on the conspiracy this time. It was as if Lyra had used a strength potion when she somehow yanked her up out of bed, the boys following behind them as they all ran out of the room and were guided downstairs. Laughing in surprise, Hermione asked if her daughter didn't want to open her stocking. "Father Christmas came?" Lyra asked, even as they hurried past a huge stack of presents that hadn't been there last night. "Later! Later!" Having reached the doors that led outside to the garden, the children were grinning, looking between each other and their parents as they each held a curtain.

"Ready?" Asked Scorpius.

"What are you two up to?" Hermione wondered aloud, her husband's eyebrow was raised to the ceiling. They counted down from three and then they jerked back the curtains, dragging a sudden gasp from their parents' mouths. The bare trees which had lost their leaves long ago were now dressed in white, the grass was covered in a pristine coating, in fact the only reason they could see it was because there was on overhang; the window of the greenhouse outside was utterly covered so you couldn't see inside at all! "Oh my Godric!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's a White Christmas!" She'd never had one in her life- this truly felt like a dream.

"What a Winter Wonderland!" Draco cried out.

"Okay, enough Christmas music name dropping!" She declared. With a grin, she grabbed both her kids' hands and pulled them into the porch to wrap up in about fifty layers. "Wellies on!" She ordered, and with their armour on, the family of four raced out into the snow.

"Let's make a snow wizard!" Decided Lyra excitedly. Hermione was more than happy to oblige her, and began to direct the others to work rolling or collecting. But she was so focussed on her work, as she expected them to be too, that she didn't see the snowball coming that flew at her face! Wiping it off, she stood up slowly and threateningly demanded "who did that?" Her two boys pointed at each other, so she crouched down, gathered two messy but nonetheless effective handfuls ands launched them at the two! The project dissolved into a giggling snow war until Lyra asked them very politely to finish her witch. Because she asked so nicely, they all agreed to pause, and with a little cheating (she just couldn't get her ball perfectly rounded!) they produced a rather marvellous snowlady. "Hmm..." Hermione stroked her non-existent beard with her ski glove coated hand. "Something's missing..."

"A nose!" The kids shouted in synch as she and Draco glanced between each other with a snort. Scorpius ran off to the fridge to go fetch a carrot, but he came back with only a parsnip, causing his exactly five year old sister to burst into tears.

"It's okay baby," Draco reassured her, taking the wrong coloured vegetable and transfiguring it orange. He then picked the now smiling girl up so she could stick it into the middle of the top ball's face. They all took a step back to admire their handiwork and Hermione thought to herself that the snow on their wedding day might have been wonderful, but it was nowhere near as amazing as experiencing the real thing with her full family.

* * *

After they'd wrangled the kids inside to open their Christmas presents- she never thought she'd be forced to do that!- and scoffed down Lyra's cake for breakfast, they asked what else she wanted to do in the snow. Scorpius began to give his suggestion, but they told him to hold off- "it is your sister's birthday, after all!" Thank Godric they were going to the Burrow for lunch this year, or they'd be stuck inside with the food- as the kids refused to go without Finky. The reluctant elf was soon wailing in horrified delight as she sped down the hill outside on a sleigh. "Potion to keep warm?" Hermione asked Draco as he passed her a flask.

"In a way," he chuckled. She took a sip and kissed him in thankfulness.

"Ooh, cinnamon hot chocolate! I love you!"

"I love you too," he told her with a kiss on her chilly cheek. "I added cinnamon because it reminds me of you. That was how your perfume smelled the night we first danced."

"And kissed," she giggled like she was that teenager again- a role she'd never fully committed to.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, wrapping an arm around her and lowering his voice. "That kiss was fantastic, but I sometimes think dancing is even more intimate." He put a gloved hand to hers, "the soft contact," He leant in. "The promises of what is to come-"

The kids and Finky came running, spraying snow behind them. "Finky is going in Master and Mistress!" The breathless elf told them.

"Mummy! Daddy! Come and have a go!" The kids cried out, and Hermione shot Draco a cheeky sideways smile.

"We'll have to dance later- if we have any energy left." Scorpius claimed her and they settled onto the sledge with him in front to steer whilst she kept her feet on the ground to stop them setting off. She turned to look at their competition and began to panic. "Why are we doing this? I hate those flying death traps- but at least you can control how fast you-"

"GO!" Screamed the children and her feet flew off the ground, wrapping her legs around her son's as they set off down the bumpy hill, the screams torn from her throat at first and then silenced by air as they launched off a little ramp type rock and zoomed momentarily through the air! "Roll!" Scorpius yelled, and catapulted off the sledge. It took her a moment of looking after him before she realised she was supposed to do that too and followed suite- although her attempts to log roll elegantly had her hip coming into contact with the edge of the sledge- but the pain didn't last long as Draco and Lyra appeared over her, waving their arms in a 'nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!' Fashion and celebrating their victory. "REMATCH!" She announced, shouting out the spell to levitate the sledge and racing up the hill ahead of the others!

* * *

By the time they arrived at the Burrow the Granger-Malfoys were starving from their energetic day frolicking in the snow. They side-along apparated with the children to find a whole army of snow angels- or as Draco called them rather more morbidly, snow dementors- being created. Lyra was quickly snatched up for a game in the snow by a team led by Dominique Weasley, whose favourite cousin was still her first one, whilst Scorpius was taken by the other team captain (due to his being the second oldest), James Potter. The only ones not participating were twelve year old Teddy Lupin and ten year old Victoire Weasley, who were supposedly helping Molly out in the kitchen, but what with the plethora of mothers there to clutter the kitchen, had disappeared inside. It wasn't the literal kitchen, mind you. That was far too small for everyone so even the Weasleys had given up on trying to squeeze the extended family in and created a warming charm in the garden where most of the cooking was taken place. "Auntie 'Mione?" Asked a little voice. Hermione looked down to find a face pouting up at her. Lily Luna Potter was asking "have you seen anyone with a pink sash hiding? I'm worried they're lost."

The Gryffindor looked down sternly at her god-daughter. "Now Miss Lily, I don't believe that's how we play this game!"

The ginger shrugged and ran over to her husband. "Uncle Draco..."

The couple burst out laughing and Draco turned back to the group he'd been talking to. "Your daughter is one hundred percent a Slytherin."

And the Boy Who Lived, who only a few years ago would certainly have challenged anyone, particularly this man, to a duel for such a suggestion, nodded in agreement. "I think you could be right!"

* * *

Hermione had enjoyed the snow, but it was certainly nice to sit down at the huge table with everyone in the magically perfectly heated space and tuck into a delicious dinner as she tried to get the name of the newest soon-to-be Weasley. "At least the gender?" She begged, and Ron opened his mouth to reply but Pansy made a zipping gesture and it immediately clamped shut, to the amusement of everyone but none more than the smallest children at the table. The once criminally harsh Slytherin girl, now soon-to-be mother was excellent as she bantered with them, quickly gaining their approval, which was excellent, since Ron and Pansy's union last September and pregnancy announcement a few weeks ago were the reason they'd decided to have this big shin-dig this year. "How's school Teddy?" Hermione asked the oldest child.

"Everything my gran and Harry told me it would be and more," he said, then glanced to the seat at his left and his hair and cheeks turned the same colour. "But I can't wait for Viccy to come too." The pre-teens exchanged a loaded glance which all the adults smiled at; it had been clear since they met as infants that they would end up together!

* * *

After dinner they went out to end the evening in the snow. Per Lyra's birthday request, they played a snowy version of Capture the Flag. All of the couples were split up, but Hermione snuck behind Draco until she managed to get him back for that morning and get him out of the game! Triumphantly, she galloped up to him. "Now we're even!" She threw her arms around the back of his neck, "that means we can dance." There wasn't any music, but it didn't matter as they slow danced in the snow, heads bent close, smiling blindly at each other- until a whole set of snowballs hit the back of her head like a bunch of arrows had been fired! The culprits weren't visible, but she could certainly hear them sniggering as she chased after them as fast as she could in a way that felt like running through water!

 ** _AN: Just had a nutcracker hot chocolate and a Cranberry, Brie & Bacon toastie, OMG who's ready for Christmas!?_**


	12. So Here it is, Merry Christmas!

**_Day 12- So Here it is, Merry Christmas:_**

 ** _AN: The final one shot skips forward a few years to Scorpius's final year at home before Hogwarts. It's been really interesting to write stories in this world, and I really hope you enjoy the last one. Leave my a review as my present? Haha :) Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!_**

On their third morning in Iceland Hermione felt great familiarity despite the fact that they were in an igloo looking up at the sky. It was Christmas morning and her kids were jostling them awake. It was even more special because this was the year before Scorpius would be going off to Hogwarts. Last night after the children had all been sent to bed and she, Draco, Kelly and Claire had sat chatting and drinking mulled wine, she'd noticed an anxious face peering at her from the corner of her eye. She'd excused herself for a few minutes and taken her son into her bedroom for some privacy, where he'd had a tearful moment over how this was his last Christmas with them and they weren't even at home! She'd given him a big hug and told him that, although she was sure he might want to stay one year to experience the now annual Yule Ball she and Draco had implemented, no-one would stop him spending the holidays at home, in fact she wanted him to come back. "You mean it Mummy?" He asked, and her heart had melted a little. He'd switched from Mummy to Mum a couple of years ago and hadn't gone back. This just showed her how off kilter he felt. At the same time, she couldn't help but be pleased- sometimes she missed the little boy he once was, as proud as she may be of who he was growing up to become. "Good. I want to see Phoebe at Christmas too."

She tipped her head a little. Phoebe's birthday was that day- the reason Lyra loved her so much as well because they nearly shared the day. It was part of the reason they'd decided to go on this birthday-festive-extravaganza trip, but with so much going on, it had slipped both her and Draco's mind that their friends' daughter should have received her letter at some point today. There must be some explanation. "Maybe her letter's back home Scorp," she'd told him. "Honestly honey, don't worry about it. I don't know exactly how these things work when you're travelling."

Seeming unconvinced, he nonetheless nodded and trotted off to bed, seeming rejuvenated by the excitement of Christmas Day. His sister was already digging into her stocking, but Draco put a steadying hand on her. "Hold up cowgirl, we agreed to do this all together!"

"Leo's the one who woke us up!" Lyra told them. "He sent us to come get you!"

"Then let's go!" Draco chuckled, their daughter jumping onto his back and he raced off with her.

"Phoebs still didn't get her letter," Scorpius told his mother as they followed.

"Like I said honey," she rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "It's probably back home, and even if it's not, you two have way too strong a friendship to not maintain it just because you're at other ends of the country!" She knew that wasn't the whole situation. Scorpius wanted to share what would be the best years of his life with his favourite friend, and she didn't blame him for that in the slightest, knowing from experience that even if the Wizarding World was objectively wonderful, it was ten times as good when you could share it with someone.

* * *

When they arrived, the other three children were vibrating with excitement! Kelly, Claire and Draco were sat cross legged in the pyjamed circle, so they joined them on the floor as well, allowing each child to dive in for their first present.

After a while the stockings were nearly empty, and Hermione and Draco were too busy watching their own children's reactions, but their attention was captured when the other two mums tapped them on the shoulders in confusion, jerking their heads at the envelope their elder child was currently opening. "Did you put that in there?" Asked Kelly. Hermione took a closer look, and her heart drummed with relieved anticipation as she relived the moment she opened that same letter.

"Dear Phoebe DeMartino-Adams," the now eleven year old read the letter, and Scorpius leapt across the circle to hug his best friend tightly, exclaiming that they were going to be together now, but Kelly seemed more confused.

"What the-?" She put a hand to her head in confusion and reached for the letter herself.

Looking across at Claire, Hermione noticed the differing reaction, the colour draining from her face. "You have an idea what this is about, don't you?" Trying to make her tone as gentle and friendly as possible, she told her "it's okay- we do too," and called out _"accio tissues!_ " Just in case things got emotional. This time both women seemed shocked, although Claire's expression was over more quickly to fade into realisation. Leo shouted out "cool!", whilst Phoebe pulled away from Scorpius to glance down at her hands curiously.

"You're both...?" Claire trailed off, not needing to say the word.

Draco nodded and pulled Lyra up onto his lap. "All four of us are. Next September, Scorpius will also be going to Hogwarts, where Hermione and I met and developed our crafts. Lyra will do the same when she's eleven."

"Show me! Show me!" Leo clamoured, so the two younger ones jumped up and Lyra began to make some flicky motions in thin air for her friend to copy, despite the fact she'd never learnt a spell in her life!

Kelly was clenching pieces of her red hair in her fists. She turned to her wife to ask, "you're not one too?"

Claire shook her head, sniffed and wiped her eyes with a reluctant smile. "No matter how much my parents wished it. That's why we don't speak to them. I'm sorry I never told you the full story Kel," her voice cracked, and her wife leant in to squeeze her hand comfortingly to tell her that it was fine.

"You're a squib," Hermione realised slowly.

This time Claire nodded, accepting the tissue the witch offered her with a thankful smile. "My parents had less savoury names for it. I was their only child, the end of their line, no matter how hard they tried. I think it's-" she glanced at the children, clearly not wanting them to hear, and the elder ones had the tact to quickly start a conversation, whilst the younger ones were still genuinely distracted. "They would have gotten rid of me if they had anyone else, but they always maintained the useless hope that one day I would display what they wanted me too."

Having abandoned the pretence, Phoebe gripped her mother in a tight hug. "I won't go if you don't want me to Mum."

Scorpius opened his mouth to protest, but realised he couldn't stop this and closed it again. He truly was growing up- and that wasn't a bad thing. Hermione had never been so proud of him. "Of course not baby," Claire said genuinely, glancing at her friends. "I'd never want to restrict you from that. I'm sure it's amazing."

"Incomparable," said Draco with a comforting smile. He looked across at Leo and whispered something to Claire.

The dark haired woman shook her head no, and Kelly looked over as well, of course not knowing the rules of magical inheritance. "But it's alright. I have had the most incredible, full life without it. He can as well, especially because we'd never make him feel bad for not being like his sister."

* * *

After the action packed stocking opening and a breakfast full of questioning from both Phoebe and her parents, the adults spent the morning cooking lunch whilst the kids played with their new toys.

"...Diagon Alley!" Scorpius exclaimed as Hermione came to call them, hiding for a moment to spy. "That's where we can get all our supplies together! There's a bookstore with magical textbooks, a store for creatures, a bank run by goblins! You get your school robes charmed after you're sorted though. There's 4 houses: Gryffindor; Slytherin; Ravenclaw; Hufflepuff. I'll probably be in one of the first two 'cause my mum was in Gryffindor and my dad was in Slytherin."

"How do they decide who's in what team?" Asked Phoebe, who was a Purple in primary school.

Scorpius leant forward conspiratorially. "I don't know exactly. It's the best kept secret, not in any book, and we can't tell Lyra or Leo when we know either!"

His sister threw down the toy she was playing with and ran over to shake him. "I wanna know how to be in Hufflepuff! It's next to the kitchen!" Leo followed her over, and the young girl declared "you'd be Hufflepuff! You worked so hard on that Lego set last week."

Phoebe giggled and ruffled the younger girl's hair lovingly. "So it's based on traits? What are the ones for the other houses?"

She let Scorpius explain, and then interrupted to let them know the food was ready, certain more talk about Hogwarts was to dominate the meal.

* * *

After they'd eaten, opened a few more presents and established through thorough debate that, had Claire and Kelly gone to Hogwarts, they would actually both have been near the kitchens, the families bundled up and were picked up by their guide, who drove them to a stable. Draco was exceedingly excited as he had owned several horses as a child, but riding through the snow proved a little less his forte and his dramatic falls that came from a little hubris caused all four children to explode with laughter, and the three women to snigger in a most un-Hufflepuff way behind their hands! It seemed that it was a natural talent for Scorpius, who quickly worked out how to get the horse to do what he wanted- she was leaning towards Slytherin for him.

After their session everyone was energised but a little chilly. When Kelly asked them to magic up some hot chocolate the couple were both about to explain the mechanics when Claire surprisingly beat them to it. It was crazy to think that she could grow up surrounded by the same magic as they had but unable to create it herself. Hermione realised for the first time that perhaps that was why Filch worked at Hogwarts, despite seeming to despise the children. If you wanted to experience how majestic magic could be, the British school of Witchcraft and Wizardry was the best place in the world for it.

* * *

They did get some hot chocolate eventually. Their guide took them to an ice skating rink with stalls surrounding it. Draco redeemed his honour in his children's eyes as he and Claire taught the younger ones to skate whilst the older kids stood in line with her and Kelly to get some drinks. Scorpius was still buzzing with excitement, and it had transferred to Phoebe as well now. They were having an in depth conversation about the order in which she should try every magical sweet. "So what was it like going from a uh, human life to your new one?" Asked Kelly, once they'd ordered. She and Draco had filled their friends in on their different upbringings now that they could, and she understood that their daughter's experience would be closer to hers so they would be interested in how she was treated.

"I was so excited," she said, seeing the awe-inspiring ceiling of the Great Hall behind her eyelids. "The summer before I left I read up all about it to prepare myself. I knew I would be going in blinder than others like Draco, but I worked hard and I was so proud that I managed to best all of them and be top of my class."

"Sounds like you," Kelly chuckled. "So did you and Draco have a- pardon my pun- magical romance?"

Hermione glanced over at her husband. "Well- not quite. It's a very, very long story, but he behaved a similar way to me as it sounds Claire's parents did to her. It took a war to bring us together."

"Draco?" Kelly joined her in looking over. Lyra threw out her arms proudly in a star shape in that moment to show off to her audience- and Draco quickly dove to catch her as she stumbled.

"Christmas was a pretty big day for us the year after that war," she said. "It's when we got together." She reassured Kelly, "My love, my best friends, the most action-packed, tragic, wonderful, formative years of my life. Phoebe will never regret it- even if her time there is somehow as unexpectedly crazy as mine was."

The Icelandic stall tender handed them their set of hot chocolates with a beam, and two free candy canes for the kids. Kelly gave her a silent thankful smile, and they headed off to drink them underneath the Northern lights from a hot spring pool.


End file.
